Richmond Foster junior defensive back Quentin Baggett (29) sits dejectedly while the Temple Wildcats celebrate their 31-24 win over the Falcons in their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. (Photo by Jerry Baker/Freelance) less

Richmond Foster junior defensive back Quentin Baggett (29) sits dejectedly while the Temple Wildcats celebrate their 31-24 win over the Falcons in their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat ... more

Photo: Jerry Baker, For The Chronicle

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Richmond Foster junior defensive end Cameron Valentine (30) and senior linebacker Malik McLemore (31) converge on Temple senior quarterback Reid Hesse (4) during their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. (Photo by Jerry Baker/Freelance) less

Richmond Foster senior wide receiver Chandler Speights, left, finishes a catch despite tight coverage from a Temple defender during their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. (Photo by Jerry Baker/Freelance) less

Richmond Foster senior wide receiver Chandler Speights, left, finishes a catch despite tight coverage from a Temple defender during their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium on the ... more

Photo: Jerry Baker, For The Chronicle

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Richmond Foster senior wide receiver Cedarian Lamb (3) has the balled jarred loose after a reception against Temple senior defensive back Ashton Logan on the final play of the Falcon's 31-24 loss to the Wildcats in their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. (Photo by Jerry Baker/Freelance) less

Richmond Foster senior wide receiver Cedarian Lamb (3) has the balled jarred loose after a reception against Temple senior defensive back Ashton Logan on the final play of the Falcon's 31-24 loss to the ... more

Photo: Jerry Baker, For The Chronicle

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Lisa McDowell, right, the wife of Richmond Foster Head Football Coach Shaun McDowell, and their daughter Ella, 10, a 5th grader at Frost Elem., cheer the Falcons onto the field for the 2nd half of their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. (Photo by Jerry Baker/Freelance) less

Lisa McDowell, right, the wife of Richmond Foster Head Football Coach Shaun McDowell, and their daughter Ella, 10, a 5th grader at Frost Elem., cheer the Falcons onto the field for the 2nd half of their Class ... more

Photo: Jerry Baker, For The Chronicle

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Richmond Foster Head Football Coach Shaun McDowell, center, leads his team in pushups, their normal postgame routine, after their 31-24 loss to Temple in their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. (Photo by Jerry Baker/Freelance) less

Richmond Foster Head Football Coach Shaun McDowell, center, leads his team in pushups, their normal postgame routine, after their 31-24 loss to Temple in their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at ... more

Photo: Jerry Baker, For The Chronicle

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Lisa McDowell, bottom center, the wife of Richmond Foster Head Football Coach Shaun McDowell, consoles their son Bubba, 9, left, a 3rd grader at Frost Elem., and their daughter Ella, 10, a 5th grader at Frost Elem., while her husband, back left, answers questions from the media after the Falcon's 31-24 loss to Temple in their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. (Photo by Jerry Baker/Freelance) less

Lisa McDowell, bottom center, the wife of Richmond Foster Head Football Coach Shaun McDowell, consoles their son Bubba, 9, left, a 3rd grader at Frost Elem., and their daughter Ella, 10, a 5th grader at Frost ... more

Photo: Jerry Baker, For The Chronicle

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Richmond Foster senior wide receiver Cedarian Lamb (3) finishes a catch behind Temple senior linebacker De'Tavion Hall (24) during their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. (Photo by Jerry Baker/Freelance) less

Richmond Foster senior quarterback Alex Ramart throws thru tight defense against Temple during their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. (Photo by Jerry Baker/Freelance) less

Richmond Foster senior quarterback Alex Ramart throws thru tight defense against Temple during their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State University in San ... more

Photo: Jerry Baker, For The Chronicle

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Richmond Foster senior wide receiver Isaiah Eaglin (11) fights for yardage after catch against a Temple defender during 1st quarter action of their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. (Photo by Jerry Baker/Freelance) less

Richmond Foster senior wide receiver Isaiah Eaglin (11) fights for yardage after catch against a Temple defender during 1st quarter action of their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium ... more

Photo: Jerry Baker, For The Chronicle

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Richmond Foster junior running back Quinton Oliver, center, fights for yardage against a pair of Temple defenders during 1st quarter action of their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. (Photo by Jerry Baker/Freelance) less

Richmond Foster junior running back Quinton Oliver, center, fights for yardage against a pair of Temple defenders during 1st quarter action of their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium ... more

Photo: Jerry Baker, For The Chronicle

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Richmond Foster senior wide receiver Cedarian Lamb (3) finishes a catch for a touchdown against Temple senior defensive back Dalvin Fillmore (5) in the 1st quarter of their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. (Photo by Jerry Baker/Freelance) less

Richmond Foster senior wide receiver Cedarian Lamb (3) finishes a catch for a touchdown against Temple senior defensive back Dalvin Fillmore (5) in the 1st quarter of their Class 5A Division I state semifinal ... more

Photo: Jerry Baker, For The Chronicle

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Richmond Foster senior wide receiver Cedarian Lamb (3) signals a first down after finishing a catch against a pair of Temple defenders during the 2nd quarter of their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. (Photo by Jerry Baker/Freelance) less

Richmond Foster senior wide receiver Cedarian Lamb (3) signals a first down after finishing a catch against a pair of Temple defenders during the 2nd quarter of their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup ... more

Photo: Jerry Baker, For The Chronicle

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Richmond Foster Head Football Coach Shaun McDowell, from left, consoles his daughter Ella, 10, a 5th grader at Frost Elem., while his wife Lisa, waits for a hug after the Falcon's 31-24 loss to Temple in their Class 5A Division I state semifinal matchup at Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. (Photo by Jerry Baker/Freelance) less

Richmond Foster Head Football Coach Shaun McDowell, from left, consoles his daughter Ella, 10, a 5th grader at Frost Elem., while his wife Lisa, waits for a hug after the Falcon's 31-24 loss to Temple in their ... more

Photo: Jerry Baker, For The Chronicle

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Deep ball ails Foster in state semifinal loss to Temple

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SAN MARCOS – Foster made the deep ball a regular sight in 2016.

Halting the deep ball, however, is part of what halted Foster's season.

Temple outlasted Foster in a 31-24 win on Saturday at Bobcat Stadium. It puts an end to Foster's best campaign with 14 wins and a state semifinal berth. Foster fell to Temple in a 27-7 loss in the regional semifinals last year.

Temple quarterback Reid Hesse collected 241 of his 359 passing yards in the second half. He had passes for 40, 54 and 89 yards in the second half, too.

"They just big-played us," Foster head coach Shaun McDowell said. "They big-played us on defense. They hit us deep on some balls, busted coverages. That was the difference in the game."

Foster (14-1) was thought to get a coup to open the second half when Christian Young forced a fumble that Demond Lemon recovered. It led to quarterback Alex Ramart's 11-yard touchdown pass to Chandler Speights and a 17-10 lead.

But Foster couldn't do anything about limiting Temple's big plays. And Hesse linked up with Zaccheus Johnson for the biggest play of the game just 26 seconds later – an 89-yard touchdown.

Temple (12-3) quickly regained any momentum lost from that early third-quarter fumble by forcing Foster to punt on its next drive and adding Anthony Jefferson's 3-yard score for a 24-17 lead heading into the fourth.

Foster receiver Cedarian Lamb's performance was like a video game against Dripping Springs in the Class 5A Division I Region IV title game last week.

Against Temple, Lamb acted more as a security blanket. When the Falcons absolutely needed a play, they called his number.

Lamb finished with 135 yards and one touchdown on nine catches a week after posting 225 yards and five touchdowns on nine catches.

"That kid plays with every fiber of his being," Temple head coach Scott Stewart said of Lamb, an Oklahoma pledge. "He plays the way champions play. He's going to be special.

"He's a Sunday kind of kid to me."

But he had a quiet second half with Temple paying extra attention to him.

Foster wasn't done because of junior receiver Travis White. He caught an 8-yarder from Ramart to tie the game at 24 with 11 minutes left. It was White's 37-yard catch that kept that drive alive, too.

But it became justified to wonder who would blink first. It ended up being Foster.

Temple carved Foster up again for Jefferson's 2-yard touchdown run on third-and-goal. Temple's Ben Norman picked off Ramart's pass on the ensuing drive.

"When two amazing teams go against each other, it's always a battle," Ramart said. "People who make less mistakes come out on top. Today, Temple made less mistakes."

Foster did get two big stops on defense down the stretch, giving its offense a chance to tie or win the game in the final seconds.

That final drive, which started with 1:31 left, was wild. Ramart rediscovered Lamb on a few throws - the last one of the game being the most noteworthy. Ramart found Lamb for 13 yards to the Temple 3-yard line with five seconds remaining, but Temple's Ashton Logan knocked the ball loose and Norman showed up big again for the recovery.

Temple's last three playoff wins might be as impressive as anyone's. The Wildcats beat a stout Port Arthur Memorial team and in consecutive weeks, topped arguably Houston's two best Class 5A teams all year in Manvel and Foster.

Temple gets Highland Park in the Class 5A Division I title game.

All things considered, Foster heads into the offseason at its peak as a program. McDowell is 40-9 at the helm.

"Our plan is to be here next year and be around for a long time at Foster," McDowell said.